Sergio Perez is the leader of the questionable rating

Based on the results of the 21st stage of the season, Sergio Perez is on the first line of the list of drivers who caused maximum material damage to their teams through accidents.

This dubious assessment was compiled by journalists from the online publication F1Technical, highlighting that dealing with such statistics has become easier after Formula 1 moved to limited budgets.

During the season, each team is allowed to spend no more than $135 million, but this is the base budget without taking into account inflation and some other adjustments. The compilers of the rating explained in the most general terms the methodology of their calculations: according to experts, the cost of one chassis is about $ 675 thousand, this is the most expensive part of the car.

Next comes the gearbox, which costs about $500,000. Other structural elements of the car that are most affected by accidents are the underbody, the front and rear fenders and the suspension components.

Estimates show that Sergio Perez’s accidents have cost Red Bull Racing around $4,861,000 since the start of the season, with most of the amount coming from damage caused by his RB20 colliding with two Haas cars in the first round of the Monaco Grand Prix. Helmut Marko said after that race: “It will cost us around two to three million, which, given a limited budget of course, puts us in a very difficult position, especially if we have to take additional measures due to the increased competitiveness of the Ferrari and McLaren …”

On the second line of the list is Alex Albon, in his case the Williams team suffered damages of almost $ 4,665,000. Although he doesn’t often make mistakes, his FW46 chassis was seriously damaged in a training accident in Melbourne. However, the gearbox and many other things were damaged. As a result, only one Williams car started the Australian Grand Prix: the team decided to assemble it for Albon based on Logan Sargent’s chassis.

But just two weeks later, Alex was involved in another accident in Japan, colliding with Daniel Ricciardo’s RB on the first lap of the race, costing Williams a further $880,000.

At the recent Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Albon also crashed his car in the first corner of the Brazilian circuit during qualifying, so badly that he was unable to get to the start of the race.

George Russell suffered accidents in the American and Mexican legs of the season, in the first case during qualifying, in the second during practice. In both incidents, his W15 was seriously damaged, forcing Mercedes to spend a lot of money.

Lewis Hamilton did not cause such great damage to the team in this regard, but in Austria the underside of his car was damaged, costing about $ 320,000.

The only championship driver who, according to F1Technical’s calculations, has not caused his team unnecessary costs is Pierre Gasly. I don’t really believe this though, because on the first lap of the Monaco Grand Prix there was a collision between Alpine cars, and both were damaged. Unless all the responsibility for that scandalous incident can be placed on Esteban Ocon, who was to blame for it.